The present invention relates to providing traffic information to users.
Traffic information is available to vehicle drivers, travelers, commuters, pedestrians, as well as others, from a variety of sources. For example, drivers and others can obtain traffic information from radio or television broadcasts. These sources may have timely, detailed and rich information. These sources may also be presented using narrative explanations provided by professional announcers that add clarity. However, radio and television traffic broadcasts are intended for general audiences and may not be relevant to the user's specific location or route. Moreover, users may have to wait through a long broadcast traffic report while traffic information is provided about areas that are not relevant to the user's travel plans.
Traffic information is also available from various web sites. Traffic information web sites allow users to find traffic information that is relevant to their own particular travel routes and plans. However, users do not always have access to the web sites. Further, when users access web sites with mobile devices, such as smart phones, the information may be presented in only a limited fashion, with brief video or audio descriptions of the traffic conditions on specific portions of roads.
Although these various ways of indicating traffic conditions along roads are useful, there exists room for improvements. Accordingly, there is a need for further ways to indicate traffic conditions to a user.